Avalanche 1, Penguins 0
PITTSBURGH -- Despite taking just 14 shots, the Colorado Avalanche emerged with a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday at the Consol Energy Center.
Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog, fresh out of the penalty box, scored the game-winner at 5:26 of the second period. Landeskog corralled a loose puck near the top of the right faceoff circle, used Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik as a screen and wristed the puck through Orpik's legs and past Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for his third goal of the season.
Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped all 34 shots he faced for the Avalanche (8-1-0).
The Penguins (7-2-0) lost despite holding the opponent to a season-low shot total. Pittsburgh went 0-for-7 with the power play and failed to take advantage of a career-high seven shots from Sidney Crosby.
While neither team registered a goal in the first, the Avalanche gave the Penguins plenty of offensive opportunities. Colorado was whistled for high sticking, tripping, delay of game and elbowing but managed to kill each man-advantage, with Giguere denying five shots from Crosby. Colorado was so busy killing penalties that it only registered four shots in the frame and didn't record its first shot until the 13:38 mark.
Colorado was awarded three power plays in the second period, but the Penguins improved to a perfect 13-for-13 on the penalty kill at home so far this season.
Giguere made his best save of the night at the 7:34 mark of the third when he robbed Chris Kunitz with a glove save on a one-timer from in tight.
Fleury made 13 saves while suffering his first loss of the season.
The game that featured a matchup for former No. 1 overall picks from Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia: Crosby and Colorado rookie Nathan MacKinnon. Crosby finished a minus-1 in 26:40 of ice time, while MacKinnon had no shots and an even plus-minus in 10:54 of action.
NOTES: Crosby was selected the NHL's second star of the week. In three games last week, Crosby recorded two goals and six assists. ... The NHL announced that Colorado LW Cody McLeod was suspended five games without pay for boarding Detroit D Niklas Kronwall in Thursday's game. ... Scratches for the Penguins were C Dustin Jeffrey, RW Beau Bennett (lower body), and D Deryk Engelland. Scratches for the Avalanche were McLeod, D Nick Holden, and D Tyson Barrie. ... Pittsburgh is next in action Friday, when the New York Islanders visit the Consol Energy Center. Colorado also is off until a Friday home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. ... The official attendance was 18,606.